Hollywood Blvd Closed, 60 Detained In Massive Police Raid

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Police detained about 60 people in an early morning raid on what was supposed to be a vacant building in Hollywood.

Police and SWAT officers swarmed the building in the 6300 block of Hollywood Boulevard at around 4:30 a.m., said Officer Norma Eisenman of the Los Angeles Police Department's Media Relations Section. Authorities were working off a tip that people were selling guns and drugs at the location. By about 7 a.m., police had detained 59 people for questioning, the LAPD reported.

The detainees included squatters, people who claimed they were paying rent, and others who claimed they were just visiting the location, Fox11 reported.

"We have heard from several people that, unfortunately, they were led to believe by someone that they had a right to be there," LAPD Detective Meghan Aguilar told Channel 11. "But what we know is (the) building should not have been occupied, and the property owner was aware of that."

Some people were cited for trespassing, and one person was arrested on a felony warrant for a weapons violation, Fox11 reported.

The unusual raid forced the closure of Hollywood Boulevard near Ivar Street . Drivers were advised to avoid the area Wednesday morning. The massive police presence created a scare in the community. Early news reports of a barricade situation were unfounded, Eisenman said.

A warrant was being obtained to search the building for evidence, police said.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report. Photos courtesy of the LAPD